WATCHWORD:
23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. 24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”
25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:23-28 NLT
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. Revelation 2:2-5 NLT
Meditation:
How Do You Worship?
In the Matthew passage, Jesus is clearly perturbed. He had started his ministry in Capernaum. He moved there from Nazareth, and built his own house (He was a carpenter, you know.) His house was a gathering place, he taught, he healed and did many marvelous things. He was well known in the town and people came from surrounding areas to hear Him. He was a frequent rabbi in the synagogue and on the beach. He is upset for His message, for more than a year, had always been peace and calmness and healing. His invitation was for all to come to Him and He would give them rest. And they had turned their backs on His Way and His Word.
In 15th Century, in religious conclaves, worship was often painful, and often involved the whipping or beating of the supplicant or pilgrim. Often, whips, braided with pieces of glass, were used in the practice, and applied by a holy man or priest. This was called flagellation, and as a sacrament, it related directly to what Christ endured on the way to the cross. Self-flagellation was also a common practice in many monasteries, where the whip was self-applied. This was a form of worship?
Endurance was sometimes used as a sacrament, where the supplicant would suffer cold or hunger for extended periods as a way of relating to the agony of Christ. Another form of worship was laying on a bed of nails for periods of time, or if you prefer, you could walk across a bed of burning coals. What in the name of the Holy Father, were they thinking?
Thankfully, that was then and this is now. Although, I must confess, there are time when a sermon seems to be going nowhere, but the drone goes on and on. Mental flagellation or, perhaps, endurance? That is so bad. Forgive me for mentioning that, Lord.
So, we don’t do flagellation in this day and age, certainly not self-flagellation. Oh, wait! Maybe we do. Did you ever get totally exhausted in service to others? Have you ever found yourself coming and going without a moments rest? Maybe fixing one meal after another, making one hospital visit after another, or agreeing to take on the children of another family out of love, to give them rest, yet, you can barely think? You may view all this effort as service to the Lord, but I wonder if it isn’t a form of idol worship, kind of a modern day self-flagellation.
Jesus says, “I know all the things you do…” My children drive themselves like racehorses. They whip themselves, ignoring how exhausted they are. Worse, they ignore my invitation to “Come all who are weary…and I will give you rest.” He tells us, in no uncertain terms, that resting in Him is a form of worship. Did you get that? Resting in Him is a form of worship. Worship me, He tells us to worship Him by resting peacefully in His Presence. Amen.
A Cautionary Reminder:
You may think you know someone who fits in the above description, but be very careful where you point your finger. You may be a racehorse, with your own set of exhausting practices: Cleaning, gardening, writing, serving others, on down a long list of busyness. Devoting time to any practice can be helpful, as long as you have not turned it into idol worship. Remember that Jesus tells us that He knows all the things we do. I don’t know about you, but I hang my head in contrition.
Closing Prayer:
It seems appropriate to use the Lord’s Prayer, and end by asking Him to draw us nearer and to rest in His Presence. Amen.
